World and Olympics champion Noah Lyles is considered the man to beat in 100m this season but pundits are predicting an intense rivalry between him and Jamaican Kishane Thompson.
Olympics 100m silver medalist has been projected to be the man to wrestle the world title from Noah Lyles at this year’s World Championships in Tokyo, Japan.
Lyles is set to defend his 100m world title in Tokyo in September and given he is also the Olympics champion over the distance, he is definitely the man to beat.
However, Thompson ran Lyles close at the Olympics, the American winning by just five-thousandths of a second when he clocked an identical 9.7 seconds with the Jamaican in the 100m final.
The three-time world champion believes 2025 will be a turning point for Kishane Thompson, urging him to overcome injuries, and embrace high-profile races.
It was a disappointing outcome for Thompson, who still holds the world’s fastest time of the year, and following that heartbreaking loss, he is itching to get his revenge this year.
British outlet Athletics Weekly seem to agree with it as they have projected a tight battle between the two sprinters at the World Championships.
While predicting how they feel the medals will be shared out, Athletic Weekly’s four-member panel of experts is divided in the middle with two each rooting for Lyles and Thompson.
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Justin Gatlin has picked Letsile Tebogo to dominate track and field in 2025 over Noah Lyles, likening the Botswana star to the legendary Usain Bolt.
The two, who did not settle on Lyles for gold, feel he will bag silver while there is one who thinks Thompson will win silver and another one has him for bronze with Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo in silver.
While Lyles has maintained his presence online, 23-year-old Thompson had not been seen or heard from since the Olympics, until he broke his silence this week when he revealed that he will make his career indoor debut at the Astana Indoor Meeting in Kazakhstan on January 25.
That meeting will perhaps give observers an indication of what he has been cooking as fans look forward to battles between him and Lyles ahead of the World Championships.
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Many of the world’s eyes are on Kishane Thompson as he seeks redemption in a high-stakes indoor debut.
Whether the prediction will hold true remains to be seen given there have also been sentiments that Lyles stands no chance of doing a three-peat (winning 100m titles in three straight years).
The two also have rivals who are busy in training, aiming to upset the formbook in Tokyo.
